The role of tacrolimus in renal transplantation

Tacrolimus gained FDA approval for use in liver transplantation in 1994 and, approximately 3 years later, was approved for the prevention of acute rejection in kidney transplantation. Over the last decade tacrolimus has become the calcineurin inhibitor of choice for the prevention of rejection in renal transplantation. The objective of this study was to provide a review and update of the literature on the use of tacrolimus in renal transplantation. Numerous clinical trials have shown tacrolimus to be superior to cyclosporine in the prevention of acute rejection and recent trials have demonstrated superiority of tacrolimus over cyclosporine in terms of allograft survival. Post-transplant diabetes remains more common with tacrolimus than cyclosporine, despite lower doses of both tacrolimus and corticosteroids. A novel once-daily dosage form of tacrolimus has recently been developed and is approved for use in Europe. Tacrolimus remains an important immunosuppressant for the prevention of acute rejection. The prolonged-release formulation may improve compliance and possibly long-term outcomes.